Italian giants formulate cheeky deal for Chelsea star; Everton urged to make ambitious move
Inter Milan are reportedly ‘ready’ to table an offer for Chelsea centre-forward Romelu Lukaku, who could be offloaded by Mauricio Pochettino this summer.
It’s no secret that the Belgium international is very fond of the Italian club and remains a popular figure among the fanbase, despite a poor showing in the Champions League final.
Chelsea signed Lukaku from Inter for a fee of £97.5m in 2021. However, after an inconsistent season at Stamford Bridge, he was loaned back to them.
Last season, he made 25 Serie A appearances, scoring 10 goals and making six assists in the process.
Now, Inter are doing everything they can to re-sign him this summer. But, Chelsea are not willing to accept another loan deal.
Nevertheless, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia) the Nerazzurri are ‘ready’ to table a loan deal with an obligation to buy clause attached, set at €30m (£25.6m).
This is slightly less than the €40m (£34.2m) that Chelsea want for Lukaku. But, there is a belief that a compromise could be reached.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how they respond to Inter, if they do indeed make that offer.
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Sutton: ‘Everton should re-sign Lukaku’
However, interestingly, pundit Chris Sutton believes Everton should rival Inter for Lukaku’s signature this summer.
The Belgium international spent three successful years at Goodison Park. Overall, he scored 87 goals in 166 games and remains the Toffees’ all-time Premier League top scorer.
Sean Dyche is currently looking to bolster his attacking options after a dismal 2022/23 season, which saw them score just 34 goals.
So, if Everton want to avoid a third-consecutive relegation battle, they definitely need a new striker. This is especially important given the injury record of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the poor form of Neal Maupay.
They have a number of targets on their radar, but Sutton thinks they should make an ambitious move to bring back Lukaku.
Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, Sutton said: “If you are a top player, you want to play for a top club.
“Everton, [has] a great history… but you would think that there are better options out there [for a top striker].
“Sean Dyche would have been thinking about this 24/7 about how to take that next step, with Calvert-Lewin, it’s so frustrating.
“We saw when he had a run towards the end of the season, the impact he can have. But Dyche can’t trust him. You have mentioned Maupay and it hasn’t happened for him. It doesn’t look like it will happen for him.
“Lukaku, go and get Lukaku. I have said Lukaku and I’ll say it again.”
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Everton take Sutton’s advice and make a move for Lukaku. But, as it stands, Inter are the big favourites to sign the 30-year-old. If, indeed, Pochettino does decide to let him leave.
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